Bucket elevator.



Patented Apr. 30, I90l. G. W. LEVALLEY.

BUCKET ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 1900.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER W. LEVALLEY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

BUCKET ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 673,320, dated April 30,1901.

Application filed April 24, 1900. Serial No. 14,144. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER W. LE- VALLEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in BucketElevators, of which the following is a specification.

In the use of bucket elevators as usually heretofore constructed muchdifficulty has been experienced from the fact that the contents of eachbucket in turning the wheel at the top of the elevator was to a greateror less extent emptied or spilled upon the back of the preceding bucket,with the result that more or less of the material was diverted from itsdesired course and spilled upon the chains to which the buckets wereattached, and this is especially true when the elevator is runningslowly, as is required in elevating some materials, such as coarse coal,broken stone, and the like. The result of this is that the elfectivenessof the device as an elevating medium is not fully secure, the materialbeing more or less scattered and often injured by reason of its contactwith the elevating machinery or gearing. Another defect of elevators asnow ordinarily constructed is experienced at the inchute or inlet-spout,

through which the material to be elevatedis It is found that deliveredto the elevator. much of the material fed to the elevator is shotthrough the links of the chain intervening between the buckets, and thuscomes into contact with the gearing.

My present invention has for its object to overcome both of the defectsabove pointed out; and it consists in combining with the elevator-bucketan extension plate, shield, or spout which is adapted to overlap thespace between the bucket with which it is combined and the one next toit and which is so arranged as to properly direct the material in thebucket when it is discharged so that it shall clear the other parts ofthe elevator and which shall also serve to prevent the material as it isbeing delivered to the elevator from coming into contact with thegearing.

In the drawings, wherein my invention is illustrated, Figure 1 is asectional elevation of an elevator embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 isa top plan view, enlarged, of an elevator-bucket provided with anextension plate or spout. -Fig.- 3 is a side view of the parts shown inFig. 2 and also of a chain-link, to which the bucket is secured. Fig. 4is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3, several ofthe elevator-chain links being shown. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of adifferent form of my invention from that illustrated in the otherfigures, the bucket there shown being arranged for side delivery. Fig. 6is an elevation illustrating a somewhat different form of the inventionfrom that shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A represents the footshaft, and B the head-shaft, of anelevator such as is employed for transferring grain.

A represents the sprocket wheel or wheels upon the foot-shaft; B, a likewheel on the head-shaft, and() the chain or chains traveling over saidwheels. But one chain is shown, though it will be understood that withbuckets of considerable-widthtwo chains are employed for supporting andcarrying the buckets.

D represents the buckets, which are secured to the chain-links, thesebuckets being so separated upon the elevator-chain as to leave one ormore open links between each pair of buckets. Where the elevator isconsiderably inclined, the buckets will. empty their loads as they passover the head without interference from the buckets immediatelypreceding; but where the elevator is vertical or nearly vertical, as isusually necessary, each bucket tends to discharge more or less of itscontents upon the. bucket immediately preceding, with the result thatthe material is more or less scattered, as has been pointed out before.To obviate this defect, I combine with each bucket an extension plate orspout E, which is of such length as to substantially bridge or cover thespace between the bucket to which it is secured and the one immediatelypreceding and which is so disposed as to overlie the intervening linksbetween such buckets. The extension-plate is preferably secured to thebucket by being bolted to the front edge thereof, as represented in Fig.2, and I prefer to form it with side flanges e, which form practicallycontinuations of the side walls of the bucket. The extension-plate ispreferably made adjustable relative to the bucket-as, 'for instance, byproviding it with a series of holes f, through any one of which theconnecting bolts F may be passed. This permits of'the' bucket and itsextension-plate being used with chain-links of different lengths. Withthis construction it is evident that so long as the buckets are on theascending or descend ing reaches of the chain the extension-plates willlie fiat against and cover the links, but

as they pass over the head-wheel of the ele-.

vator the plates will open away from'the chain, as represented in Fig.1, until they as the inchute or inlet H, through which the material isdelivered to the elevator-boot, the plates E willlie flat against thelinks and form,with the buckets, a practically unbroken wall to preventthe incoming material from shooting through the chain and into contactwith the sprocketwheels. To secure this, the plates E are of a width tocompletely cover the underlying chain or chains.

My invention is adapted for use in connection with side-deliveryelevators, and in Fig. 5 I have shown a bucket and extension-plate E,adapted to deliver at the side. In this form of my invention the sideflanges e are omitted and instead the plate is provided with an obliqueand preferably curved flange e, which extends across the face of theplate, so as to direct the material discharged from the bucket over theside'edge of the plate. The rectangular shape of the plate E is retainedin this form of my invention for the purpose of covering and protectingthe underlying chains.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 6 each bucket is shownas being provided with a rearward extending plate 01. This plate may beeither formed integral with the extension-plate E, in which case itwould extend under the bucket D and preferably be secured thereto,or itmight be made integral with the bucket, or it might consist of anindependent plate attached to the bucket. Its purpose is to entirelybridge the space between the forward edge of the extension plate orspout E and the rear portion of the elevator-bucketimmediatelypreceding.Therear portion or edge of this plate (1 is preferably curved, asrepresented in Fig. 6, to insure that the forward edge of the plate Eshall always lie outside of or on top of the plate d.

Myinvention is adapted for use in connection with elevators adapted forworking upon many diiferentkinds of material, and may be used inconnection With buckets and chains different in construction from thoseshown without departing from its essential features of novelty andutility.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. In a bucket elevator, the combination with the chain, of bucketssecured to certain of the links of the chain, one or more linksintervening between each bucket carrying link, and extension-platessecured to the front edges of the buckets and arranged to overlie thesaid intervening links, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bucket elevator, the combination with the chain, of the bucketscarried thereby,l1aving side walls,and the extension-plates secured tothe forward edges of the buckets and provided with side flanges eadapted to form practically continuations of the side walls of thebuckets, whereby the said extension-plates constitute delivery-chutesfor the buckets, substantially as set forth. 7

3. Ina bucket elevator, the combination with the chain and the bucketscarried thereby, of extension-plates extending practically from bucketto bucket, and of a width to entirely overlie (transversely) the chain,whereby the said plates constitute shields to protect and guard thechain between the buckets, the said extension-plates being secured toand carried by the buckets, and free from the chain, substantially asset forth.

4. In a bucket elevator, the combination with the chain, the bucketscarried thereby and the inchute or feed spout, through which material isdelivered to the lower portion of the elevator, of shields carried bythe buckets, and extending from one bucket to the next over the chain,and arranged to occupy a position between the said feed-spout and thechain as the chain passes the spout, whereby the material delivered iskept from contact with the chain and gearing, substantialy as set forth.

5. In a bucket elevator, the combination with the chain and buckets, ofan extensionplate extending in advance of each bucket and means foradjusting the said plate, substantially as set forth.

6. In a bucket elevator, the combination of the chain 0, the buckets Dsecured to certain links of the chain, the extension-plates E providedwith a series of holes f, and the bolts F adapted to pass through theholes f in the extension-plates, and through holes in the edge of thebuckets whereby the extension-plates and buckets are connected,substantially as set forth.

CHRISTOPHER W. LEVALLEY.

Witnesses:

ULASTA I. KLOFAUDA, JOSEPH Loon.

